Shoe tree



Nov. 25, 1941. D. B. MACKAY 2,264,138

SHOE TREE Filed April 9, 1941 iatented Nov. 25, 1941 OFFICE SHOE TREE.Donald B. Mackay, New York, N. Y. Application April 9, 1941, Serial No.387,580

Claims.

This invention relates to shoe trees and more particularly to an articleof this character provided with means by which the tree may be adjustedto accurately fit shoes of different size and the adjustment thereof,when secured, may be mm'ntained.

At the present time shoe trees are provided with various types ofadjusting means, but such means generally employed permits only a roughadjustment of the tree within the shoe.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an adjustingmeans by which an accurate and snug fit of thetree within the shoe isattained and when the proper adjustment has been once secured, suchadjustment may be indefinitely maintained.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of anadjusting means by which the forward or toe portion of the tree may bespaced at a selected distance from the rear or heel por- 1.

1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3

is a plan view of the rear or heel portion of the shoe tree showing theadjusting mechanism; Fig.

4 is a horizontal sectional view through the adjusting mechanism; Fig. 5is a View of the rear or heel portion of the tree with the adjustingmechanism removed; and Fig. 6 is a view of the underside of the pinionand attached adjusting knob.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the shoe tree is primarily composedof two main parts, that indicated at I constituting the forward or toeportion of the tree and that indicated at 2 being the rear or heelportion. These parts may be made of any suitable material such as wood,metal or the like and may be generally of conventional form. The rearportion is provided on its top 3 with a suspension loop 4 pivotallymounted in the lugs 5 formed on the plate 6 which is secured by screws 1to the top of the portion 2 of the shoe tree.

The forward part I of the shoe tree is provided with a flattened topsurface 8 to which is secured, by the screws 9, a hinge leaf pivotallysecured to a slotted hinge leaf or plate H by means of the pintle l2.The plate H has its longitudinal side edges bent downwardly to formguide flanges l3 which are slidable in the parallel slots I4 formed inthe fiat top 15 of the rear or heel portion 2 of the shoe tree.

The leaf -II is also formed with a centrally disposed, longitudinallyextending, slot it, one edge'of said slot being provided with aplurality of teeth I! constituting a rack and in mesh with a pinionI8secured or formed on the bottom of a knurled adjusting knob Hi. Theadjusting knob and attached pinionv I8 are rotatable on a screw 28received in an internally threaded bushing 2| sunk in the rear portion 2of the shoe tree, as clearly indicated in Fig. 5. ,Rotative movement ofthe bushing 21 withinthe portion 2 of the shoe tree is prevented bymeans of a pin 22 acting as a set screw against the side of the bushing.The screw is provided with a winged head 23 in order to enable it to bemanually tightened when desired to hold the knob l9 and pinion itagainst rotative movement, as will be explained.

From the foregoing, the operation of the improved shoe tree will bereadily understood. When the tree is to be fitted into a shoe, the partsare in the position shown in Fig. 1, at which time the screw 20 isunthreaded out of bushing 2| for a sufficient extent so that theadjusting knob' 19 and pinion l8 may be manually rotated. The shoe treeis placed within the shoe and then the knob I9 is rotated to cause thepinion E8 to move the leaf Ii, said leaf forcing the portion I of theshoe tree away from portion 2 to the required extent to cause the treeto fit snug within the shoe. Because of the rack and pinion engagementbetween the two parts I and 2 of the shoe tree, the operation of thedevice is extremely smooth and an accurate and snug fitment of the treewithin the shoe can be obtained. As soon as the tree is fitted withinthe shoe by adjustment of the parts as above mentioned, the position ofthe parts I and 2 relative to one another may then be maintained bytightening the screw 23 so that the head of the same bears firmly downupon the adjusting knob l9 and holds the same against rotative movement.The knob 19 being thus clamped against leaf Il', holds leaf H tightlyagainst the fiat top 15 so that the several parts are thus held inclamped relationship and cannot be shifted until the screw 20 is firstmanually loosened.

By means of the arrangement described, adjustment of the shoe tree issmoothly and easily secured and maintained.

What I claim is:

1. A shoe tree having a toe portion and a heel portion, the toe portionhaving a hinge, the hinge having a leaf slidably engaging the heelportion, said leaf being provided with an elongated slot, a toothed rackdisposed within the slot, a screw extending through said slot andreceived into the heel portion, a. manually rotative pinion throughwhich the screw passes, said pinion being in meshed engagement with therack and adapted to be held against rotative movement when the screw istightened.

2. A shoe tree having a toe portion and a heel portion, the toe portionhaving a hinge, one leaf of said hinge being secured to the toe portion,the second leaf thereof being in slidable engagement with the heelportion, guide means in'th'e heel portion for engaging said second leaf,saidv second leaf being provided with a slot, one'edge of said slotbeing formed with a pluralityof teeth, an internally threaded bushingfixed in the heel portion, a screw adjustable in said bushing, a m ma-1v retat e Pimps on i screw and a d' i hi he 9? a d nme edensaeem withthe teeth thereof, and elements, on said pinion for engagement by thescrew when said screw is tightenedin the bushing to hold thepin- 21 endatt din a nst. mo emen 3. A shoe treehaving, a' toe portion and a heelportion, each ofsaid portions being provided with afiat upper face, ahinge attached to the flat upper faceof the toe portion,saidhingehavingaleaf overlying the flat upper face, of the heel portion,saidvface of theheel portion being provided-with guide grooves, the leafhaving edge flanges guided in said grooves, the leaf being formed with atoothed rack, a screw threadedlverticallyinto the heel portion, saidscrew extending through the slot in the leaf, a pinion disposed on thescrew and located in the slot and in meshed engagement with the rack, aknob on said pinion, and an enlarged head on the screw for engagementwith the knob when the screw is tightened to hold the knob against theleaf and prevent rotative movement of the pinion with respect to therack.

4. A shoe tree provided with a toe portion and a heel portion, a hingehaving a leaf fixedly attached" to one of said portion and having asecond leaf slidably attached to the other portion, the slidable leafbeing provided with means guided by the shoe tree portion over whichsaid leaf is slidable, said shoe tree portion having a rotativelymounted pinion, a rack carried by the slidable leaf and engaging thepinion, and clamping means by which the slidable leaf is clamped betweena part of the pinion and the shoe tree portion over which said; leaf isslidable, and he 91. 9 1 and a v lid b e f hereby he 'va ins p e nt.

A 1 t eh r ne a Q H f iQ d a he l portion adjustably connected thereto,the connection between the toe and heel portions in cluding a rackoverlying, the heel portion, a screw adjustable in the heelportion, apinion meshed with the rack and rotatively carriedon the screw andadapted:bymanualrotationto move the rack, said screw when tightened,-acting toclamp the rackand pinion between. it and theheel portion tothereby hold said. rackand pinion against movement.

' DONALD B. MACKAY.

